web1_AP18301000132634.jpg

PSU’s McSorley ‘getting better,’ still receiving treatment for his injury

web1_October.jpg

Wyoming Valley West Students of the Month for October

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A main focus during practice this week is an aspect that the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins really have&#8217;t had much of an opportunity to work on in games.</p><p>Through the first month of the season, the Penguins have been granted just 32 power-play opportunities &#8212; tied with the Providence Bruins for the lowest total in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins conversion rate of 15.6 percent is also in the bottom half of the conference, but is it fair to judge a power play when a team hasn&#8217;t had many chances to use it?</p><p>According to head coach Clark Donatelli, the power play does need to improve, but it hasn&#8217;t been a complete detriment, either.</p><p>&#8220;The biggest thing right now is it can&#8217;t be a momentum-changer in the game. So far it hasn&#8217;t been,&#8221; Donatelli said. &#8220;They&#8217;re letting us play for the most part, and you never know when the chances are going to come. We can go out the next day and get five.&#8221;</p><p>The last time the Penguins had at least four power-play chances in a game was on Oct. 19, when they went 1-for-4 in a 5-4 win over Lehigh Valley.</p><p>In the three games since, the Penguins have had just five power plays, including no opportunities on Oct. 20 in the back end of a home-and-home set against the Phantoms.</p><p>Garrett Wilson couldn&#8217;t explain the lack of calls in favor of his team.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve been getting all different refs, so I don&#8217;t think that has anything to do with it,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Donatelli said it&#8217;s not all bad, adding that the lack of calls can be good for the flow of the game. That works in his teams&#8217; favor, Donatelli said, as fewer stoppages allows the Penguins to wear teams out.</p><p>In the meantime, the only thing the Penguins can do to keep the power play sharp is work on it in practice. But even that doesn&#8217;t suffice all the time.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s hard to simulate the intensity of a penalty kill against a power play in practice. As much as we do it, it&#8217;s always different in a game,&#8221; Donatelli said.</p><p>Still, Wilson said it&#8217;s not all that bad to work on things in practice after the power play, despite few opportunities, has been struggling.</p><p>&#8220;When you&#8217;re not getting the reps in a game, sometimes it&#8217;s a good thing when the power play is struggling to re-focus on it in practice,&#8221; he said.</p><p><strong>NOTES</strong></p><p>&#8226; Donatelli said injured forward Sam Miletic is unlikely to play this weekend. Jarrett Burton has been cleared to play, however, adding to the depth at forward.</p><p>&#8226; Defenseman Chris Summers had a three-game point streak spanning Oct. 19 &#8211; 26, the second three-game point streak of his career and first since January 2013.</p><p>&#8226; Adam Johnson had the first three-point game of his career on Oct. 26.</p><p>&#8226; The Penguins&#8217; last four shootout losses have all come on the road. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has not lost a shootout at home since Nov. 5, 2017 against the Bears.</p><p>&#8226; Teddy Blueger leads Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with four goals this season and is in a four-way tie for the most goals in the AHL without having recorded an assist this season.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_20th-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_20th-1.jpg</photo0><caption0></caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tom Venesky</p><p>tvenesky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

WBS Penguins hoping power play chances will come after early drought